Chapter VIII
Strong gusts of wind sliced against his face. Memories of Yharnam plagued his mind. Memories of the Old One, memories of the dream, memories of the hunters whom he had freed from the dream. It was not uncommon for a hunter to go in a state of depression, before even thinking about heading out to Yharnam.
There was a hunter who had a different kind of view of the beasts. Djura was his name. He viewed the beasts not as beasts, but as humans. He fought against the beasts for a long time, but something changed his view on the beasts. He told Gehrman the same thing, before he finally left the dream.
“You think we are fighting beasts?”
“Yes, good hunter. Beasts are beasts, nothing more.”
“They were once human, you know.”
“Their humanity is gone, lost in a dark void. Beasts are beasts, and they deserved to be hunted down.”
Not soon after, Djura was freed from his dream. He told Gehrman about Old Yharnam. What he was hoping to find there, Gehrman did not know. And quite frankly, he did not care.
Then there was that female hunter. Eileen was her name. She was a different kind of hunter. In the beginning, she hunted beasts. But eventually she targeted other hunters. Hunters who had lost their minds to the plague, but had not fallen to the plague of beasts... yet. She accepted Gehrman’s request of freeing her from her dream. She was old and wise, but not as old and wise as him.
“It is uncommon, but do as you must, good hunter.”
“I will, First Hunter. Thank you for your kindness and help.”
“A hunter of hunters, how exciting.”
“It is better for one to die with their humanity intact, than to turn beast.”
Freed from her dream, Eileen continued what she had started in the waking world.
And then there was that Executioner. Alfred, if he remembered correctly. A hunter of the Vilebloods. He was a peculiar one. He showed great love and compassion towards his master: Martyr Lagarius. Hunting down the last of the Vilebloods. He had quite the conversations with Gehrman, and Gehrman would always listen. He too was freed from the dream, and he didn’t even show the slightest regret. He would hunt them down, all of them.
“Your hunt is over, good hunter.”
“My hunt will not end until the last of the Vilebloods are hunted down.”
“And what if it is a child? An innocent woman?”
“Then I will make their death even more slow and painful. Vilebloods deserve to be hunted down, no matter their gender or age.”
Hunters. Male or female. Young or old. They would all die one day, and they would not wake up in their dream, but in the waking world. A world Gehrman would never see again.
Gehrman sighed as he looked at the two pegasi who were pulling the carriage. The carriage was moving at quite the speed, and he was impressed by it. Gehrman peeked his head out of the carriage, looking down at the clouds and sky below them. It was quite the sight to behold, and he was happy he could. Twilight told him they would reach Ponyville any second, and that he should probably prepare himself for some unwanted stares of confusion from everypony.
Gehrman couldn’t care less about the stares he might get. He was used to getting stares. Heck, stares of confusion were the least of his worries. He fought against beasts for crying out loud! A few stares weren’t going to bother him.
And then he saw it. The town for last evening. Ponyville. He had finally arrived. The carriage descended towards the town. Gehrman held on to his top hat, preventing the wind from blowing it off his head. The carriage finally landed on Ponyville grounds. Gehrman and Twilight both stepped out of the carriage, thanking the two guards as they watched them take off.
Gehrman looked around him, observing every aspect of the town. There were a lot of ponies. Unicorn, pegasi, and even regular ponies. It made him smile a bit, seeing such a peaceful town. He turned to Twilight, who was currently talking to a pegasi mare. Gehrman decided to stay polite and keep his mouth shut. The mare bid her farewell and Gehrman quickly spoke up.
“What now?” he asked.
“Well,” Twilight said, tapping her chin. “Are you by any chance hungry?” she asked, smirking slightly as she looked up at him.
“I could eat something, yes,” Gehrman replied, tapping his belly. “This old man still has some spice in him.”
“Then I know just the place!” Twilight said as she motioned Gehrman to follow her. Gehrman chuckled, walking after her and putting his hands behind his back. Passing several buildings and ponies, Gehrman noticed that this town was very colorful compared to Canterlot. It kind of looked like those doll houses that children in Yharnam used to play with.
Gehrman had a little trouble keeping up with Twilight. She had four legs, while he had one good leg and one bad leg… or foot. He didn’t pay any attention to it, though. He couldn’t complain. It was nice to walk through a town that wasn’t inhabited by beasts, or mad hunters and Yharnamites. Several ponies stopped in their tracks just to get a good look of him. Gehrman greeted everyone he passed. Whether it was by nodding his head, or saying a simple; but polite ‘Hello’.
It was not uncommon for hunters to blend in with the crowd, even having the occasional talk. Long ago, when the plague of beasts was still young and had not spread throughout all of Yharnam, Gehrman would have the occasional conversation with an Yharnamite or two. Whether it be about family, friends, or the plague, Gehrman enjoyed the conversations he had. But still, talking and working alongside those who you trust can lead to complicated situations. The plague of beasts spares no one. Your closest friend could potentially become your most feared adversary.
Man or woman. Child or adult. The plague turned them all into beasts. Family killing family. Friends maiming friends. It was hell on Earth. Gehrman knew the feeling of losing the ones dear to you, all too well. If he could reverse time, he would have spoken out to Laurence. He would have stopped the Old Blood from reaching the surface. He would slay any Great One trying to ‘ascend’ humanity to a higher plain of existence. He would have become the hero; Yharnam needed. He would have become the hero; Yharnam needed.
But he did not. He said yes to the excursion into the old labyrinths. He self-pitied himself when the Healing Church saw no further need for his Hunter’s Workshop. Using that damned Umbilical Cord was a grave mistake. And the torment he had to endure, was the punishment he deserved. No matter how many tears he’d shed, how many sobs escaped his mouth. He knew he deserved every single tormented second of it. It was the price he had to pay… a price for his self-pity and greed. He would never forgive himself.
His acts got so many killed. So many turned beasts. Families separated, brothers and sisters devoured by beasts. Sure it was not entirely his fault, but he should have been wiser. He should have seen the potential consequences of the Old Blood. A cure for everything, they said. Did it also cure a broken heart? A broken soul?
‘Beasts are beasts, nothing more,’ Gehrman thought to himself as he and Twilight neared a—what was for him unfamiliar—bakery. ‘I wonder if any hunter would think the same, if they were to hunt down their own child.’
Twilight turned to Gehrman, smiling widely as she pointed her hoof at the bakery they were standing in front of. “May I present: Sugarcube Corner!”
Gehrman looked at the bakery in front of him. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was very colorful, and the lower and middle parts seemed to be made of normal cement, or at least he thought it was. But the roof. The roof is what confused him. It looked like something you would see on a child’s drawing. Was that whip cream on the roof and walls? And were there cherries on there too?
Gehrman just shook his head dismissively. He did not care how it was made, he only cared about one thing: Living his live at its fullest. Both unicorn and human walked towards the entrance of Sugarcube Corner. Walking up the two set of pink colored stairs, Gehrman opened the door for Twilight.
“Ladies first,” he said, bowing his head slightly.
“I think Rarity will have no problem getting to know you,” Twilight giggled, entering the bakery. Gehrman soon followed. Eyes widening as they fixed upon the bakery’s interior, Gehrman smelled a sweet aroma enter his nostrils. By the good blood did it smell delicious. It was unlike anything he had ever smelled.
“That’s strange,” Twilight commented, looking around the bakery. “There’s Nopony inside. Not a single soul to be seen.”
“Perhaps the owner closed his or her doors early?” Gehrman suggested, shrugging.
“Knowing Pinkie Pie, she has to be around here somewhere,” Twilight trailed off, her gaze shifting between Gehrman and the bakery.
Suddenly and ear-deafening cry could be heard. Gehrman had no trouble pinpointing what kind of cry it was.
It was the cry of a crying baby.
Gehrman walked as fast as he could. Walking behind the counter, he turned right and headed upstairs. Twilight had not noticed him walking away from her, until she saw him head upstairs. Her eyes widening, she quickly trotted after him.
Gehrman grabbed hold of the hilt of his Burial Blade. Crying baby’s reminded him of one thing: There was a beasts near them. Gehrman finally reached the upper level of the bakery. He now stood hallway that had several doors on each side. Gehrman listened closely to the source of the crying. He slowly walked forward, the crying becoming louder. Stopping in front of a wooden door, Gehrman pushed the door open, unsheathing his blade while doing so.
The sight in front of him, however, was something he had not expected. There stood a pink pony, holding two smaller ponies. The smaller ones were crying, and the pink one was trying to calm them down.
“Please,” the pink one begged the two foals she had cradled in her hooves. “I’ve tried everything, so why won’t you stop crying?”
The two foals continued crying, making the pink mare sigh in defeat. Her gaze was now fixed on Gehrman. Had she not heard him entering?
“Oh, hello!” she greeted gleefully. “What are you doing in Sugarcube Corner?” she asked, her gleeful smile never disappearing.
“Are there no beasts?” Gehrman asked, sheathing his blade. Of course there were no beasts. How could he have been so stupid? If there were indeed beasts, he would have smelled them. “I am terribly sorry for all of,” Gehrman said as he motioned to the opened door. “This”
“That’s okay!” the pony replied. “My name is Pinkie Pie! What’s yours?”
“I am Gehrman,” Gehrman replied, looking down at the two foals she was holding. “Are those your children?” he asked.
Pinkie shook her head. “Nope. They’re Mr. and Ms. Cakes’ foals. I promised to foal sit them until they came back from their ‘Quest for different recipes for new sweets’”
Gehrman could not help but smile at the two foals. Holding his finger out to the pegasi foal o his right, he smiled. The foal looked at Gehrman’s finger in curiosity and moved his head closer towards the strange appendage. He opened his mouth, his lips locking themselves over Gehrman’s finger as he began nibbling on it as some kind of chew toy.
Gehrman’s smile widened a tad bit more. He even chuckled a bit at the foal’s innocent nature. Children. He did not just become a hunter to fight beasts, but also to protect children from harm. But it seemed these two did not need protection from any beasts or monsters… except for one monster.
“Tell me, children,” Gehrman spoke softly, pulling his finger out of the foal’s mouth, much to his displeasure. “Do you fear the ‘tickle monster’?”
Gehrman’s hands both moved towards the tow foals as he tickled their bellies, making the two laugh in joy. Gehrman continued tickling, much to the pleasure of not only the foals, but also the pink pony that was holding the two. After a few more seconds, Gehrman stopped and cleared his throat. Standing at his full height and almost bumping his head to the ceiling, he spoke up.
“Happy ones, aren’t they?”
Pinkie nodded, placing the two of them in their cradle. “They sure are,” she whispered, watching as the two foals slowly closed their eyes. She turned around to face Gehrman. “Thank you, Gerrie.”
“I think you misspelled my name,” Gehrman corrected. “It’s Gehrman. Not Gerrie.”
“I know what I said,” Pinkie replied, smiling brightly at him. “Oh, hey Twilight!” she whispered to her fried, who was standing in the doorway.
“Hello Pinkie,” Twilight whispered back, smiling at her friend. “I see the two of you have already met?”
“Let’s head downstairs,” Gehrman instructed, walking out of the room. “Let the children sleep. They need their rest.”
Pinkie and Twilight both nodded their heads in agreement, following Gehrman’s footsteps as they headed downstairs. Finally reaching the main level of the bakery, Twilight was the first to speak up.
“Pinkie, why did you leave the door open, when nopoy was present in the bakery?”
Pinkie’s eyes widened and she smacked her forehead. “Silly me. I forgot to lock the door when came back from Sweet Apple Acres.”
“You went to visit Applejack? Why?” Twilight asked curiously.
“I needed to get some apples to bake my delicious apple pies,” Pinkie replied, turning to Gehrman. “Would you like to try one, Gerrie?”
Before Gehrman could reply, Twilight spoke up.
“Just a cupcake will do. I need to get Gehrman to the library and then prepare an introduction for him.” Twilight replied, looking up at Gehrman. “Go ahead and eat one, but just make it quick.”
Gehrman nodded his head. Pinkie let out a squeal and (literally) dived behind the counter. Peeking her head over the counter, she held out her hoof which now held pink frosted sprinkled cupcake on it. Gehrman took the extraterrestrial food. He brought it up to his mouth and took bite. And then another. And then another. And before he knew it, the cupcake was gone.
“That was delicious,” Gehrman complemented, licking his lips. “And outstanding job, Ms. Pinkie Pie.”
“Please, call me Pinkie. All of my friends call me that.” Pinkie replied, waving her hoof in a dismissive way at him.
“We are… friends?” Gehrman asked, clearly confused.
“Sure we are!” Pinkie replied. Jumping up at him, she put her forelegs around his waist.
Gehrman could only continue to stare in confusion as the pink mare hugged him tightly. Eventually letting go of him, Pinkie looked at Twilight.
“Too bad I can’t join the two of you,” she sighed. “But somepony’s got to watch the foals.”
“A very hard, but responsible decision,” Gehrman said, tipping his hat at her.
The duo bid their farewells to the pink party mare and left the bakery, ready to continue their trek through Ponyville. Walking down the set of pink stairs, Gehrman stretched his back and looked up at the sky.
“Twilight,” he said, pointing at the sky.
“Yes?” Twilight asked, looking up at him.
“Is it normal for a pegasi to come flying at us with incredible speed?”
“Oh not again!”
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Dash doesn't know what she's getting in to lmao.
I have a bad feeling about what's about to happen to Rainbow if she doesn't stop trying to tackle new things.
Think Ol' Gehrman can sidestep Rainbowcrash?
6608833 have you seen the old man move? thats not even a question
I'm kind of wondering when he'll start actually explaining things to them in a way that they would understand. Since he just kind of jumps in the middle of things with terms they wouldn't know. Kind of waiting for someone to get frustrated with him and say "Will you please explain things, start, middle, end, go."
Enjoying the story so far and I've never played the game or even read about it, so it's kind of fun getting a view of it through the narration and perhaps eventually Gehrman explaining things to ponies.
6608892 I've seen him move, and I shit myself when he does.
Well, I say I've seen him move, but that's a lie. What I meant to say was it's hard to see him move when I'm busy trying to dodge that damn scythe trick weapon of his. XD
6608463 That or the author's going into cockney slang. XD
"Eeeeeh, thought you were brown bread. Brown bread meanin' dead, eeeeeeh." XD
6601925 The Great Ones are also effing creepy as hell and have waaaaaaay too many 'nopes' about them.
6608773 Epic sidestep from Gehrman,
Epic face-plant from Dash.
6609298 Lmao.
I don't get why Gehrman thought a crying baby meant a beast was nearby. I don't remember that ever being indicative of anything about how close a beast was and I don't think Gehrman ever once heard Mergo's cry during the Long Night. I really hope Dash is actually just speeding towards them because she is curious and excited to meet him and not the whole "something different, MUST ATTACK" spiel we see in too many tics nowadays. There were a few grammatical errors and a repeated sentence but, all in all, an ok chapter.
Please don't have Rainbow Dash attack him. It's massively overused, contrived, and nonsensical; she's not so stupid and violent as to attack every single creature she doesn't recognize on sight, especially if her friend is walking beside it.
Her crashing directly into him by accident is more believable, but that is massively overused as well.
6609314 Ayy lmao
I'm sorry. That thing should have died a long time ago...
But alas, I cannot rid my youthful mind of the amusing tone I read those words in.
Back to the fic, looks like Rainbow is gonna get owned. A simple sidestep will indeed work, but I worry Gehrman's instincts might kick in. I doubt he would do a Pony too much harm, though. Sidestep it will most likely be...
Good chapter, Although I thought it was strange that the town was surprisingly accepting of Gehrman. They reacted much worse with Zecora, who was just like them only with a cloak, but with Gehrman however, he is a very sizable, bi-pedal creature nopony has ever seen or knows about, who is obviously armed with a large, wicked blade.
And they just smiled and waved...
Perhaps the conflicts will begin once Gehrman discovers the Everfree for himself, and all the monsters inside, and handles them the way a Hunter would.
Eagerly anticipate the next chapter.
I think this is one of my favourite chapters, and to be honest I nearly saw him fighting Pinkie, but I forgot that he isn´t that stupid.
I aomehow hope he makes her looks like a noob, just for the funny aspect of the next chapter. A story from him does probably the job to befriend her later on.
Incoming catastrophe! Prepare the popcorn for possible fight scene/moment of hilarity!
6609789 Well I don't want the entire story done in one sitting, that would take forever lol. Just that when he starts to explain the little bits he gives just a bit more than what he normally does as he only just gives very vague explanations is all. That way you can still go back now and then and have him further explain things as the story goes on since they really don't know much at this point or understand things like 'being in a dream' and no further explanation wouldn't make sense to anyone for instance. All he had to say was that he was trapped in a dream world for years by something, then later when they ask about it, he goes into what it was a dream of and by who as an example.
6609789 That's not going to happen in this story. He'll explain some of his backstory over several chapters. This story will mainly focus around Gehrman and how he will live his life in this new 'waking world'. I hope you're enjoying the story so far.
Grammar score out of 10: 9
Pros:
It has a natural flow to it, not feeling too dragged out or too concise.
Nice touch of characterization for everyone.
It's nice how Gehrman is confused about how Equestria works because I've read some crappy 'human in Equestria' stories where they don't even give a care about that.
Cons:
I can't think of three cons, but there is one thing that bothers me. Gehrman repeats the same thought concept in almost every chapter: 'I'm free.' 'I'm in the waking world now.' 'Beasts, dreams, and the moon'
Notes Section: I suggest repeating less of the same thing. I know that it's one of the main points, but in my opinion, it appears too often.
That is all.
Plz review Seeking Answers for me.
6617649 My editor is currently on vacation, so he won't be able to edit these chapters for a while.
It reallt great that, he can spent his life with no nightmare and dream.
That make me smile.
Wrong choice of words, I think. Misheard might be the word to use.
...Author. Never stop writing this. If you reach the end, do a New Game Plus.
7037954 I think the author meant to put misspelled. It's something called breaking the fourth wall.
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Incoming gun parry